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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



go, getting up the team acnd carriage, 

 putting team and things away when we 

 get home, etc., it consumes the greater 

 part of two days a week more than if 

 the work and time had been expended 

 upon our home apiary. Taking one 

 year with another, we get just a^ much 

 honey from one apiary as the other. 

 One is near the timber, and the home 

 apiary is on well-cultivated prairie land. 

 — Farmers' Revietv. 



Iowa State Bee-Keepers' Society, 



EUGENE SECOK, PKEST. 



This society will meet in annual con- 

 vention in its tent on the Fair Ground, 

 at Des Moines, Tuesday and Wednesday, 

 Sept. 1 and 2, 1891. I would like to 

 see every bee-keeper in Iowa who takes 

 pride in his State make arrangements to 

 attend that meeting. Get ready to take 

 something to .the fair also. 



I am assured by the managers of the 

 Agricultural Society that the bee-keepers 

 shall have more room for exhibits. They 

 are beginning to realize that Iowa can 

 make too fine a bee and honey show to 

 longer be sandwiched between the 

 pumpkins and cabbages. They offer to 

 put up a separate room for us if we will 

 fill it. Let us show them that we 

 appreciate their efforts to give us 

 additional room, by the extent and 

 magnificence of the display. 



We expect to have the best State 

 convention ever held in Iowa. We 

 want to get acquainted with everyone 

 interested in bee-keeping. At that 

 meeting, besides an interesting pro- 

 gramme, which will be published later, 

 there will be other important questions 

 pertaining to the pursuit, to talk about. 

 The grandest World's Fair ever held on 

 this continent, will open in 1893. It is 

 none too early to begin talking it over 

 if we wish our State to stand in the 

 front rank. Other societies are moving. 

 Shall the State Bee-Keepers' Society go 

 with them ? 



We have decided to hold this meeting 

 in connection with the fair because the 

 railroads always give half rates, awd we 

 have an opportunity to see one of the 

 best agricultural exhibitions in the 

 West. The world does not know what 

 Iowa is capable of doing in the way of 

 honey production, because we have 

 made no organized effort to enlighten 

 them. 



The first thing to do is to build up a 

 strong State society, that can get recog- 



nition at the hands of " the powers that 

 be," if occasion arises when we need it. 



Let us take an interest in the devel- 

 opment of that industry which adds to 

 the Nation's wealth while it impover- 

 ishes no one ; which fascinates every 

 intelligent person who pursues it; which 

 furnishes a pure, natural, healthful 

 sweet, acceptable alike to rich and poor, 

 and which, as a rural pursuit, is 

 adapted to old and young, ladies and 

 gentlemen. It cultivates observation 

 and study, and gives added interest to 

 the farm. 



Forest City, Iowa. 



That Foiil-Brooil Bill, 



W. p. FAYLOK. 



Two bills were contemplated on the 

 subject of "foul-brood" in the Illinois 

 Legislature. The first one was with- 

 drawn, or never presented at all. The 

 one finally introduced in the House is 

 familiar to all. 



On page 474 of the Bee Journal, the 

 following is given : " Representative 

 Smith will soon introduce a bill into the 

 Legislature providing for an Inspector 

 of foul-brood, and for payment of his 

 salary by a tax of 2 cents on each colony 

 of bees in the State." 



The bill as finally presented increases 

 the tax from 2 cents to 5 cents a colony, 

 irrespective of value or race of bees. To 

 my mind, it would be just as sensible to 

 tax every horse, pig or cow, the same all 

 over the State. Mr. A. I, Root values 

 one of his colonies of bees in April, with 

 best imported queen, at $26. 



Now, I ask, where would there be 

 justice in taxing a colony of bees in a 

 box-hive, worth $3, the same as one 

 worth ten times as much ? Of course, 

 it would matter but little whether the 

 tax went direct to the Inspector, or 

 through the Legislature to him ; nor 

 would it make any difference whether he 

 saw my bees or not ; for it would be still 

 more of an intrusion to pay an Inspector 

 for doing nothing. 



Mr. Smith's bill says the revenue is to 

 be applied : "For the suppression of 

 foul-brood and the promotion of the 

 bee-keeping "industry." But who is to 

 handle all this money? The "Illinois 

 Bee-Keepers' Association," according to 

 the provisions of this bill ; but everybody 

 knows that not more than one bee-keeper 

 out of a hundred in the State belongs to 

 that organization. Would it be right to 

 tax 99 men to give one out of the 



